3. FEATURE ARTICLE - Performance Assessments That Motivate by Doris Bentley, Centrepoint Career Consulting http://www.centrepointcareer.

com Are you waiting with positive anticipation to conduct your next performance review? How many of your employees would say they look forward to their performance reviews? Typically, the performance review process is one of the most anxiety-laden experiences for employees and managers alike. What often gets in the way of an effective performance review is that people are used to being evaluated as poor, average, or smart in school and we carry our perceptions of how we were evaluated earlier in life to assessments of our performance at work. When I ask managers what motivates them to perform, I hear similar responses to what motivates all employees. Most frequently, I hear such responses as ''as sense of accomplishment" or "recognition." When we provide an opportunity for each employee to decide the expectations for their performance with his or her manager, the likelihood of accomplishment is increased. Everyone is entitled to have their performance measured. It's great to get self-satisfaction from a job well done, but to hear from someone else who matters about how we're doing takes our sense of self to a new level. The key to conducting performance reviews that motivate, is to use a participatory process that appraises performance, not the individual. The purpose of performance reviews or assessments is not to tell employees how good they are, but to talk about the results of their performance and the impact of what they've done. The role of the manager in a performance review is that of facilitator, not evaluator. The manager should focus on providing outcome-based feedback - for example, advising an employee that "Because the report was late, the project was delayed"; not - "We got into trouble because you didn't meet the deadline." Follow such a comment with "If you could do this..., this would happen..." Placing the focus on performance and it's results, and not on the individual, will motivate the individual to improved performance. Ideally, the performance review meeting should encourage the employee to talk openly and freely about accomplishments, problems, concerns, and perceptions. Here are ten key steps to follow when preparing for - and giving - an effective performance assessment: 1) Keep in touch with other managers or staff with whom your employee works to gain an awareness of how others perceive the individual you will be assessing. 2) Give ongoing, timely and relevant feedback to the employee throughout the year. Ongoing feedback provides the recognition that motivates and assures opportunity for coaching and development; it reduces the fear born out of surprise in the traditional assessment interview.

3) Write a rough draft for each employee, then ask yourself: What will be remembered? What will motivate? Are comments specific? Is there anecdotal evidence to support each assertion? Are your comments understandable? 4) Insist that employees actively participate in their performance reviews. A week in advance of the meeting, provide the employee with a list of self-assessment questions to complete in advance of the meeting. The questions should ask what the person has accomplished since the last review, any successes or disappointments at work, whether or not they are getting enough support and feedback to be effective in their work, and so on. The employee's answers to these questions should form the basis of your initial discussion. 5) Bring out what has been done well by the individual and what must be learned to capitalize on the employee's strengths. The goal is not to be adversarial, but to build in the employee's strengths in a way that meets company objectives. Provide specific anecdotal evidence of what the employee has done, not vague generalizations. Emphasize the future, not the past. 6) Fill out the actual performance assessment form with the employee in the meeting. Filling it out together provides the opportunity to mutually set new performance goals for the next assessment period. 7) When writing the new performance goals or expectations, they should be mutually defined and agreed upon. Expected results should be clear, based on the company's business objectives. They should be realistic, measurable, clear, and above all, they should be commitments. 8) There should be no surprises for either the employee or the manager during the performance assessment. If there are performance problems that need to be addressed, they should occur at the time they arise. The performance assessment meeting is not the time to bring up performance problems for the first time. 9) It's often a good idea to have two people in the performance assessment meeting with the employee - it can help create a more conversational atmosphere, and is definitely recommended when there are negative behaviors to address. 10) Change your language: you're assessing performance, not the individual. Provide outcome-based feedback by describing specific behaviors and the consequences of what the individual has done. Separate the person from the issues, and you're home free. Another very contentious part of most performance reviews is the rating scale. What is the worth of a rating scale? None; all it does is compare Marvin with Alicia. It is almost impossible to understand ambiguous ratings such as "needs improvement" or "satisfactory.' A rating system

also encourages managers to resort to a shorthand grade instead of using performance reviews as an opportunity to coach and to motivate employees. Equally important: When we separate financial compensation from the assessment process, what we really remove is the distraction from the performance interview and we encourage listening and dialogue that motivates improved performance. Most of us want to know if we will "get a raise" - but that can wait. By adding a spirit of communication and creativity, the traditional dreaded performance review has been replaced by the opportunity to motivate. Thoughtful preparation and allocation of adequate time are the two basic essentials in planning a successful performance discussion. Spontaneity works well in some situations but is not appropriate when a person's needs, values, performance, and career plans are being discussed. The integrity of the manager is indicated by how well he/she prepares for the performance discussion and by how well the session is conducted. ***Resources*** Author: For Doris Bentley's biography, visit http://www.spc.ca/resources/essentials/hallfame.htm. For more information on Performance Management, visit SPC's online Resource Center at http://www.spc.ca/es32.